(1864) Copper-Nickel Civil War Store Card F-460Y-2d, J.B. Wilson IN

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,440 MS65 10-14-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Civil War merchant token bearing the name of J.B. Wilson, located in Indianapolis, Indiana. As Indiana's capital and a major railroad hub, Indianapolis was the center of the state's Civil War token production, with merchants using tokens as practical emergency currency. J.B. Wilson issued 6 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper-nickel, this die combination (Fuld 460Y-2d) is somewhat scarce. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Congress banned private token issuance in April 1864, but before that, tokens like this one circulated freely as cent substitutes in Northern commerce. The copper-nickel composition gave these tokens the closest resemblance to federal coinage of any metal variant. After Congress banned private coinage in 1864, surviving tokens became instant collectibles, with serious collecting beginning within a decade of the war's end.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel strikings are moderately scarce compared to pure copper or brass versions. With 6 cataloged varieties, J.B. Wilson was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 460Y-2d